63 Responses to “KTL 8:16 across the Pentland Firth”

Another great video Dylan. Makes me realise what a good passage we had through the Pentland Firth. Came out of Long Hope just in time to catch the turn mid channel and had fair tide all the way to Wick with our SOG peaking at over 11kts! A bit like being on a mobo. Look forward to seeing you journey continue from Neakie around the corner. I didn’t know that Wrath ( as in cape ) actually comes from a Norse word meaning ‘turning point’ ( Hrath ) until I came across a derivation while looking up info about the passage from Stornaway to Loch Eribol.Fair WindsRobPs tapped you a donation

Dylan, could not agree more, as a proud owner of a couple of Devon Yawls that are GRP simulated clinker yawls, one of which we have had in the family for more than 34 years. We have pottered, cruised and raced them. I have to confess to OCD with regard to them. Great boats,

Errr… Dylan has just told me that some of the juddering is deliberate freeze-frames he put in so you can see the porpoises! So after trying it again on several machines this morning in an effort to help, it turns out some of the problems have been put in accidentally on porpoise.

But this is still a wonderful addition to the KTL journey… the first light departure from Scalloway is particularly beautiful and the account of the brave night crossing of the Pentland firth is gripping stuff.

Hi, Dylan, great film and story from Shetland across Pentland Firth I think all part time sailors have low times particularly at night, when in the services on duty or exercises or in the years sailing since, the wee small hours strain ones belief. But a great film once again. looking forward to the next. All best wishes, Bryan T, Difran 2 in the Solent

There are loads of crinkly bits round there go look round.When I have looked at the crinkly bits South of Cape Wrath I’ll think about heading North, if I live that long.

After watching it with my crew I told her “that’s why I want you to be able to do it”. I suspect I sail pretty much like you ie more or less single handed which is OK for day sailing. Thanks for having the “learning experience” and allowing us to learn from it too.Is it too early to ask when the next one is due? :)

that depends on the weather – if the sun is shining and I can go out on the river in the punt/canoe/dinghy/Katie L then I will go sailing. I do know that sailing films get better hits in the winter than the summer.

I agree – Jill decides how many hours we sail each day. When I am by myself I start sailing before the sun comes up and end after it has gone down – I often stop for a kip in the middle of the day. When Jill is with me we start late, stop for lunch and end early – then I go off for a sail in the dinghy

Interesting subject indeed. If my Gill has a moment to spare the knitting’s out and she’s tucked up under the spray hood, facing backwards. I feel this is not in keeping with the spirt of sailing and the requirement to keep a good lookout for other vessels. When the time comes to tack, I have to give sufficient notice so she can finish the row. That said we do have some very nice cusions, a quilt in the forward cabin and a cover for the helm. Given half a chance I’m sure the sewing machine would find its way onboard. Weather forecasts, in today’s world where we all have half a dozen apps on our smartphones, why do my wife’s say 30 knots and rain, so let’s jump in the car, I need to buy some more material, knitting needles etc. When my forecast is for 15 knots, sunshine, and great days sailing. That said we do make a good team.

Another excellent video Dylan, well done. I really don’t think you should indulge in too much self flagellation over your passage making decisions. We’ve all had things go pear shaped from time to time when conditions change unexpectedly or the weather guessers get it all wrong, its part of the blue water sailing experience. However, you are right that fatigue is more of an issue as we age (I’m 70 this year and rarely do overnighters any more) but you were well reefed down and, in the bits we saw when it got a bit boisterous, the boat seemed quite happy. An uncomfortable experience but not a dire one. Fair Winds.

Great viewing, very exciting, dark mood sailing in rough weather and unusual for KTL. It’s true that a visceral wave of fear can catch you by surprise when you are alone and feeling your getting out of your comfort zone. Watched as you recommend – on my big screen.

Great film Dylan, oh I have found you a new boat. It’s not on the open market yet but the owner is looking to sell. It’s a Colvic Watson with a fully enclosed wheelhouse. Ketch rig sails well but with a 30 hp BMC diesel. Very similar to a Fisher 25 except that it is 26.5 feet long and beamy makes my Centaur look tiny. It’s £15k. So keep chivying those un tappers!

Hello Dylan, just had a marathon session watching 15 & 16 back-to-back. (Whatever happened to KTL8 Film 14?). Anyway, it was great on the big screen and with a warm dog on either side of me, I might of nodded for a couple of minutes toward the end of 15…not to imply boredom but, rather, how peaceful the scenery and music was, with the water chuckling by the bow. Its is forecast to be 20 deg. here tomorrow, so its time to go to the boatyard and pull the shroud from my own boat…ah, Spring!Best wishes,JimHalifax, Nova Scotia

Filming has stopped? WTF, there is now no reason to turn on the sodding tv. Can we lobby the BBC to give you your own show? I suppose now the evenings are becoming longer, i will have to assist in the restoration of his cruddy silhouette. You have inspired him to have a go for himself and secretly I’m not unhappy about it, it could be a lot worse considering i caught him reading up about making a still. He has an alarm set somehow to alert him that you’ve posted a new video, so hopefully you haven’t seriously stopped.All the bestSuz kayak woman

I have the material for ten more films on the hard drive…. but no more filming until I can get the cash flow sorted…. if I can. As for the BBC…. they would invent a race against time.. “will he make it to sterling before the banana goes black?” They would also make me dress up like a pirate.

Glad to see you’re alive, the last vid had a still of you at the end and we fretted somewhat that you might have actually stopped due to irreversible circumstances.Had we won the lottery over the weekend you would have been top of the ‘folk to dob some cash to’ list. TV is not the same and nowhere can he find such brilliant yacht porn as KTL.To the detractors of your travelogue i say f*** ’em all. What about sponsors? You might have to wear overly branded clothes but maybe not the pirate hat?The Silhouette is now clean and almost looks like a boat. I am dutifully helping by cleaning dull brass and making tea. I will post some pics. Keep buggering in.

still sailing. Made a lot of progress since that film was made and I am as keen as ever on sailing. Not lost my bottle. As for sponsors …. I don’t think that an unknown jowly old bloke sailing a bad boat is much of a draw for a sponsor – I have only had 1.5 million views so not enough to interest any sort of sponsor.

DylanGlad you all survived the trip. The most important thing is Jill did not say never again( as far as I know) . My mum said ferry next time when we had a trip to holland that went bad half way thru….. Rough night sailing downwind on to the Dutch coast, and only the DF (remember that) to know we’re were on course for ijmudieum ……we survived but mum always took the ferry after that! A cheap waterproof go pro copy might have been interesting to have got some shots of the ugly……but it never looks as bad on film….Cheers Warren

Haven’t caught up properly for a while – have now (and tapped). Wow – what a film! Good historical stuff and no hysterical stuff! How do you do it when putting yourself so much in harm’s way? That crossing of the Pentland Firth exactly demonstrates all the fears we sailors have when going beyond our comfort zone. The boat will do it, but are we up to the job? I keep telling myself that the mast will not come down, the rudder will stay attached, I will not catch a lobster pot or some random netting. But my 64 year old ability to stay alert and make wise decisions I seriously question. Last year a crossing to Ostend from Walton took 28 hours – no wind, but knackering. The following day far too much wind going from Ostend to Ramsgate, and I was seasick for the first time in my life. I put it down to tiredness…Going to stick to the Thames Estuary for the time being – plenty to do.I’ll let you do the hard stuff and watch from a safe distance. Keep it up!

The Pentland was an experience I do not want to repeat in a hurry. As you say, the boat can handle it. The question is can we? At our age we also have to admit that things that were easy as a middle aged man are now no longer such a breeze.

I do not worry about centaur masts – they will tell me before they fail. The rudder is a simple mechanism – not much to go wrong unless it clonks something – and then you are close to the shore.

I will never do that to Jill again.

Well done on the adventuring across the north sea – although what were you thinking doing so many miles in such a short space of time.

I’ve slipped you some dough Dylan, not much because its come out of my own sailing budget – but I know a true craftsman when I (sea) one. Pun intended.

Having spotted you on the Deben last week and posting the photo to your Facebook page, now seeing this video makes me realise how small our endeavours are compared with nature. And how easily my nautical idol could’ve been lost. I hope the project is only stalled and that enough people like me but with more funds will stump up.

Even if they don’t, I want you to know this. YOU are the reason I learnt to sail and are now the reason I own a seaworthy Mariner 17. Like you I attempted to restore a Seawitch 19, then gave up and moved on! I can’t help thinking that Katie L could still cruise the Islands and certainly explore the Clyde. Perhaps enough MOB’s could be persuaded to give a tank full of diesel to tow her across the country.

I have the rushes I shot on the firth of forth/Tay and Moray firths in Katie L the year before last. They will be posted this autumn as part of the run of the last ten. However, although Katie L is up to the job of scotland … living down below during a five day blow is untenable for a man of my age and with my knees

I rather like it. At the moment it is slumbering in the quarter berth while I experiment with the Torqueedo on the Minstrel. I think the last film was May, moved house since then and the sailing weather has been wonderful so not keen to spend sunny days at the desk when the Deben is calling. As soon as the autumn storms arrive I will be driven off the boats and back ashore – although I plan to keep Katie L in commission right through the winter

Very understandable sailing rather than being couped up. I’ve been to Lundy twice and Milford haven via Tenby. Fantastically I’ve been joined so many times this year by dolphins in the Bristol Channel especially in the Carmarthen Bay and off Hartland.

Having fully refurbished the Trapper, I’m selling Harlequin and have bought a Sadler 29 which I’ve just sailed round to Cardiff from Plymouth. Lovely boat. I just found Harlequin a bit too light and racy for day long cruising and a bit too cramped for my 6′ 3″ as I was banging my head too often and getting lots of aches from crouching as a result of anno domini.

Hope you get back to Scotland next year.

The Sadler has a dedunct Eberspacher but I can get it exchanged for under £400 so Scotland may be an option for me too next year. Either that or Ireland.

Anyway keep up the mudlark.

Good to see Maggie is still with you. My wife, Sue won’t let me take our labradors out on the water! Puppies due in this weekend so I’m grounded effectively for a couple of months.

Amazingly I’ve got the Eberspacher to work. It simply needed the battery connections tightening!Brilliant so Scotland next year hopefully. It’d be good to see you up there. How’s the coffers looking for the Fisher?

Brilliant Dylan. Love all the Videos! I’m been following you right from buying the Centaur, from Solent right through to this video. Your video quality is amazing for such a portable camera. May I ask what the Camera is and also how much Nav info does your small handheld Yellow Garmin Hold. From George, Big Fan and Sailor, Owner of MacWester Rowan Crown 24, in County Down.

Hi Dylan So I sat in a Fisher 31 and i have to say I liked it. The experience was somewhat tempered by a large number of other people also being on board in varying states of inebriation. I decided its a bit like a centaur with a conservatory. I quite liked it but my wife Kim said she preferred our Centaur. So My vote goes for a Centaur with an Esbacher Heater to keep you camera dry.

I have watched and enjoyed your Shetland venture a couple of times now. When you entered Skeld marina it was nice too see my jaguar 24 (curlew) in its berth. When you sailed round to Reawick, Sand Voe, and Soundside/Tresta Voe, it’s my sailing ground.Looking to forward too you postings on the west coast of British isles. Happy sailing on the Deben

I have watched and enjoyed your Shetland venture a coupled times now. When you entered Skeld marina it was nice too see my jaguar 24 (curlew) in its berth. When you sailed round to Reawick, Sand Voe, and Soundside/Tresta Voe, it’s my sailing ground.Looking to forward too your postings on the west coast of British isles. Happy sailing on the river Deben, fair winds and safe harbour’s.

After a few weeks absence, I returned to your site again and suddenly found two video’s I had not seen before! Looking at the reactions I realised that these must have been available since march of this year. I have visited KTL quite a few times since then.I just can’t figure out how I managed to miss them..

But then again; I don’t find navigation on your site of the utmost clarity.. Things seem to change places continuously..

The other possibility is that I am an old sod that has lost touch with the simplest of things..

I’ve been offline for a couple of days, but to answer your question about the navigation on the right hand side: when I open the list of video’s unter KTL8, I can’t find video 17 (Cape Wrath). It just isn’t listed.The problem does not seem to be that the listing on the right hand side is not obvious enough.